Thunder - Willow Summers Page 0,9
said that before.” Colton watched Dick scan the sheet. “Hell, we’ve all felt that way. We just forget because this entire gig is centered around babysitting.”
“Sure, it’s a valid point.” Dave tossed the used towel into the bin against the back wall. “But who says something like that when they’re booking hired help?”
“A jaded realist.” Colton laughed again.
Dick pointed at the line he was reading, a smile crossing his face. “Under dress code, she put ‘something a high-powered professional with a decent income would wear to a wedding.’ Her lack of specification is funny.”
“No way. All women care what their dates are wearing to an important event. You’re making this up.” Dave reached for the paper.
Dick jerked it away. “She says she’ll pick up the ‘employee’ wherever he would like, but he’ll need to drive when in view of the wedding guests.” Dick’s brow furrowed, his smile slipping. He lowered the paper. “Why would she offer to pick the guy up, but then make him drive her car?”
“Maybe she thinks we don’t have cars.” Dave scratched his head.
“What kind of car does she have?” Colton asked, checking his watch. If he left now, he’d only be five minutes late. He shifted toward the door, but for some reason he felt compelled to hear the answer.
Dick brought the paper back up, skimming the bottom. He shook his head. “Doesn’t say.”
“If she was going to a wedding out of obligation, I could see all of that stuff except making the guy drive. This just doesn’t make sense. No wonder she was after Sam.” Dave checked his phone. “She’s probably a serial killer and picked the weakest one.”
Grinning, Colton took another step toward the door. “Anything else?”
Dave glanced up, a quizzical expression on his face, but Colton barely noticed. He couldn’t help wondering if the woman had any other strange idiosyncrasies.
“Yes.” Dick squinted at the paper. “In the comments section, she wants to know if Sam—she put the name in quotes—is his real name, because she has to put someone’s name on the gift, and wants to know if he’d prefer real credit or fake-name credit.”
A couple of giggling women came through the door. Early twenties and cute, they quieted when they saw the small huddle near the check-in desk.
“Hi, Dave,” one of them said, her blond hair and striking blue eyes giving her an all-American vibe.
Dave glanced up, then went back to his phone. “Hey, Anna.”
The friend looked Colton’s way before flicking her loose curls over her shoulder, a style choice hinting that she wasn’t at the gym for a solid workout. She didn’t give a salutation, but her gaze was hot and inviting.
Colton had finished his walk to the door before he realized it, slipping by the girls without a word. His sense went on hiatus as well. “Respond to that girl,” he said to Dick. “Tell her Sam is definitely a made-up name. The employee’s name is Colton, and he wants real-name credit for that gift.”
Three
“How do I look?” Madison strolled into the living room, walking around the boxes Frank had dropped off the week before. Half of the crap was stuff she neither needed nor wanted, but apparently the new girlfriend couldn’t have anything around that Madison had once touched. Judging by how everything was dumped into the cardboard containers, Frank had packed them himself and with very little care.
Janie turned around at the island. There was a drink in her hand and a fresh one sitting next to her, presumably for Madison. Her face lit up—always a good sign. “Girl, you look like a super-hottie rock star. You are going to blow them away. I have a lady boner, that’s how hot you look right now.”
Madison smoothed the rose-pink silk dress down her thighs. “Is this dress too much?”
“Too much?” Janie rolled her eyes. “Woman, you are rocking that dress. You make it look good, not the other way around. It’s perfect.”
Madison threaded through the boxes so she could look in the full-length mirror slanting against the living room wall, one of the items from her old place that she could actually use. A strip of material circled the tops of her shoulders and the base of her neck. From that, the soft yet shiny fabric draped down over her breasts, leaving her arms bare. The dress parted down the center of her chest, revealing a hint of cleavage and showing skin all the way down to her somewhat toned abs. The back gaped down to just above